Good Directions
by hdente85
Summary: Modern day story of Jack & Elizabeth. Jack is a farmer in Georgia and Elizabeth is from California. Let's see where this story takes them! I do not own any rights to the characters in this story. All characters are owned by Hallmark and Crown Media, LLC.
1. Chapter 1 - The Produce Stand

**Chapter 1 – The Produce Stand**

It was a scorching summer day in Georgia. One that was all too familiar with Jack Thornton.

He grew up working on a farm with his mom and dad. His dad taught him all he knew about farming.

Until that late night when his dad went to work.

Sadly, his dad was killed in the line of duty that night. A drunk driver side-swiped his patrol car and he was killed instantly.

Jack removed his cowboy hat and wiped the sweat from his brow.

He glanced up at the sky, noting there were no clouds in sight.

"Another hot one," Jack mumbled under his breath as he took a seat on the tailgate of his old Chevy pickup truck.

The truck had been a gift from his parents when he graduated high school. Nothing fancy, just an old Chevy single cab truck with a wooden bed and a rusty old tailgate.

People came and went at the produce stand on the side of the road for hours.

Come lunchtime, Jack decided to pull out his lunch and take a much-needed break.

He sat down under the shade by a tree and pulled out a bag of pork rinds, a turkey and cheese sandwich and a jug of sweet tea.

Just as he was finishing up his lunch, he happened to look down the dirt road at a red convertible speeding leaving a cloud of dust behind its path.

"Who in the…" he said as he stood up and dusted off his jeans.

He looked on as the convertible got closer and stopped right beside of his pickup.

The cloud of dust trailed in about ten seconds later, making Jack fan the air in front of him to see who was driving this nice of a car.

The dust finally settled and he was awestruck at the driver.

Moments before…

Driving down the interstate with the top down, the driver decided to turn off at the next exit to get something to eat. Her stomach wouldn't stop growling.

"Alright…let's see what this town has to offer in terms of food," Elizabeth spoke as she stopped at the stop sign off the interstate.

She kept driving before she realized that she was completely lost.

"Great! Now, what do I do?" Elizabeth thought as she kept driving around the small town.

She decided to keep driving, only to be frustrated soon afterward because of all the dust.

"Ugh… my skin is going to be dried out with this heat and dust. What kind of town doesn't have paved roads?" Elizabeth rolled her eyes and turned down another dirt road, unsure of where this one led.

This road led down a long dirt road running beside a cow pasture with wooden fences.

A few moments later, Elizabeth scrunched her eyes together and looked ahead.

"Finally! There's someone ahead. I can ask them for directions."

Elizabeth pulled up beside the old truck that was parked by the side of the dirt road.

Dust overtook both of them as soon as she parked.

She pulled her sunglasses off and looked over at the person standing beside the truck that she had seen minutes before.

She was completely captivated when she saw him.


	2. Chapter 2 - City vs Country

**Chapter 2 – City vs Country**

Elizabeth took her sunglasses and wiped them with her shirt, placing them on top of her head. She proceeded to open the door of her convertible, but before she could even reach for the handle, the young man beside opened the door for her.

"Thank you…" Elizabeth got out of the car, looking at the area around her. Nothing around for miles but open fields, wooden fences and a few trees here and there.

The sun was still blaring down on top of both of them as they introduced themselves to each other.

"My name is Elizabeth Thatcher. I'm from California and I appear to be lost. I must've took a wrong turn back that way." Elizabeth turned and pointed to where she came from.

"I'm Jack Thornton. I live just a few miles down the road here with my parents. I run this produce stand for some extra income. I hadn't seen many people today with the heat, but when I saw you coming earlier, I realized you weren't from around here."

Jack chuckled and smiled as he looked down at her red convertible. He looked at the logo on the front and knew she wasn't from anywhere near here – Mercedes Benz. Most people in this area drove Chevy or Ford.

"What seems to be so funny, Mr. Thornton?" Elizabeth asked as she noticed his sly grin.

Jack pulled out his rag and wiped the brim of his hat off, placing the rag back in his back pocket. "Nothing, just admiring your car. No one that I know of around here drives a Mercedes."

Elizabeth was annoyed at his comment. It wasn't her fault that she was lost in this small town. They just needed better signs.

"Well, if you give me directions on how to get back to the interstate, I assure you that you won't be seeing me or my Mercedes any longer. I was looking for a good place to eat, but it appears your small town doesn't have good directions." Elizabeth smoothed her skirt and knocked the dust that had settled on it from a few moments ago.

"Tell you what, I know of a good place back down where you came from that has good home cooking and great sweet tea. I can tell you how to get there if you want. Otherwise, there's not much around these parts in terms of good food." Jack started walking back to his truck to get a piece of paper and a pencil to write directions on for Elizabeth.

"I appreciate that Mr. Thornton. Right now, anything would do." Elizabeth watched him walk to his truck to fetch the piece of paper and pencil. "Dang he looks so good in those blue jeans…" Elizabeth thought to herself as she watched him walk back towards her. She shook her head slightly, scolding herself for thinking that sort of thing about a man she's never met, let alone doesn't even know.

"Here's the directions. You'll go back down this road for about 3 miles. You'll come to a stop sign and take a right. The restaurant will be on the right just about a quarter mile from that stop sign." Jack handed her the small map that he had drawn and smiled at her as she walked back to her car, got in and shut the door.

Elizabeth started the car and proceeded to put it in drive. Before she left though, she asked Jack a quick question.

"If I'm not able to find the restaurant, do you have a cell phone that I could text? That way I can find my way." Elizabeth reached over in the passenger side and grabbed her iPhone. She looked up at Jack who was looking at her oddly.

"Uh, I don't have a cell phone. I'm pretty sure you won't even have cell service in these parts." Jack smiled slightly as he looked at Elizabeth pull up her cell phone and groan in frustration.

"Well, I guess you are right Mr. Thornton. I don't seem to have cell service. Looks like I'll have to take your directions and hope I can find the place myself." Elizabeth placed her phone back in the passenger seat, annoyed at the latest revelation of no cell phone service.

Jack walked up to her car and smiled at her as he looked down at her. He reached his hand out for her to shake and smiled as she took his hand.

"It's no problem, and please, call me Jack. I'm sure you'll be able to find your way. Have a good rest of your day Ms. Thatcher!" Jack smiled and nodded as she turned her car around and headed towards the restaurant, praying she would be able to find her way. As she left, she looked back in the rearview mirror as Jack waved goodbye. She smiled as the dust cloud followed her down the dirt road.


	3. Chapter 3 - Fried Chicken & Sweet Tea

**Chapter 3 – Fried Chicken & Sweet Tea**

After driving for what seemed like an eternity, Elizabeth finally arrived at the restaurant that Jack had provided directions to. She double checked the directions while holding the paper in her hand and looking at the small wooden sign hanging above the establishment's front door – CHARLOTTE'S.

Elizabeth looked around and observed it was pretty quiet on this hot sunny day. She presumed everyone had already come and ate, the heat was keeping everyone inside or maybe, just maybe, this restaurant wasn't all it was cracked up to be according to Jack.

Elizabeth stepped out of her car, putting up the top of the convertible. She grabbed her purse and phone from the passenger side and strolled the dirt sidewalk gradually, unsure what she would find inside.

Upon opening the front door, a small bell rang, signifying someone entering the restaurant.

Elizabeth squinted her eyes and looked around. People were sitting together around tables eating and enjoying meals, laughing and enjoying the company of others.

The tables were decorated with green and white checkered tablecloths with vintage wooden chairs that looked like they had years of use. On the walls, decorations were hung of old signs from the small town, vintage license plates from different states and a lot of personal pictures of people she didn't recognize.

Within minutes of stepping in the front door, a small young girl showed her to a table and gave her a menu.

"I take it you ain't from here?" The lady asked as she noticed Elizabeth looking around the restaurant and at other people near her table.

"No. I'm from California." Elizabeth smiled faintly and looked back at the menu, unsure of what to order.

"Well, I'll give you a few minutes to look over the menu. Let me know if you have any questions. My name is Abigail." The waitress smiled and walked away, leaving the young lady at the table.

"Thank you." Elizabeth looked back at the menu and noticed all the options for food. Her mind was telling her she wanted one of everything since she was so hungry.

"What to choose, what to choose...hmmm…" Elizabeth was in deep thought when the waitress came back to her table.

"Have you decided yet?" The waitress removed her pen and pad from her apron and looked at Elizabeth for her order.

"Honestly, I'm not sure what to order. Do you have any recommendations?"

"I highly recommend the fried chicken and sweet tea. Charlotte, the owner, makes all the food homemade. That's her specialty – the fried chicken. It comes with green beans, mashed potatoes, and a biscuit too."

Elizabeth's mind flashed back to her speaking with Jack just moments before…

 _"I know of a good place back down where you came from that has good cooking and great sweet tea."_

She smiled as she remembered what Jack had told her.

"That sounds great, I'll take that please." Elizabeth passed the menu back to the waitress and smiled as she wrote her order down.

The waitress brought her out a large glass of sweet tea. Elizabeth thanked the waitress and took a small sip, unsure if she would like it or not. She realized seconds later that Jack was right, again. The sweet tea was delicious.

Ten minutes later, the waitress brought out her plate of food and Elizabeth looked over the plate, ready to dive in. She began eating and realized, again, that Jack was right. The food was scrumptious. Growing up, she had dined at some of the finest restaurants in the world. She wasn't sure if she had ever tasted wonderful food like this before.

The waitress walked back over to the front door and an older lady approached. She was eyeing the young Elizabeth and watched as she practically consumed the food.

"Hey, Abigail…" The older lady motioned for the waitress to come over to the side where she was standing watch.

"Yeah?" Abigail walked over to the older lady who kept a watch on the young Ms. Thatcher.

"What do you know about that young lady over there that you've been waiting on?" Abigail looked back over at Elizabeth, who was still enjoying her lunch.

"Well, she said she ain't from around here. Says she's from California. She asked me if I had any recommendations on the food here and I told her your fried chicken and sweet tea is about the best things on the menu." The older woman smiled as she thanked the waitress and decided to walk over to get to know the young Ms. Thatcher.

The older lady began to walk over to Elizabeth's table, grabbing a pitcher of sweet tea on the way to refill her cup. As she drew closer, she could tell the young lady had never had homemade food before, as she had already finished her fried chicken on her plate.

"Excuse me?" The older lady spoke so that she didn't startle the young lady, as she noticed she seemed to be in deep thought.

"Yes?" Elizabeth spoke as she questioned who this older lady was.

"I noticed over there that you enjoyed my home cooking. Would you care for a refill of sweet tea?" The older lady held up the pitcher of sweet tea and began filling Elizabeth's cup.

"Thank you. This is probably one of the best meals that I've ever eaten before. I guess you can say I'm not used to 'home cooking'". Elizabeth laughed quietly as she watched the older lady take a seat in front of her at the table.

"I appreciate the compliment. My name is Charlotte Thornton. I run this restaurant. Been doing it for a long time. People come from all over and stop by on their way in and out of town, so I've seen quite a few people in my day." Charlotte smiled at the thoughts of who all had passed through her quaint country restaurant.

"I'm sorry…did you say Thornton?" Elizabeth wondered if she had heard the older lady correctly. Didn't Jack say his last name was Thornton? She wondered if there was any relation to each other. In a small town like this, it was definitely possible he was a nephew or distant relative.

"Yup, you heard right - Thornton. I've been happily married to Tom for quite a while now. We live out of town a few miles on a big farm with our two sons. Lived here our whole lives. Couldn't imagine living anywhere else."

"I don't want to appear nosey, but are you related to Jack Thornton?" Elizabeth dared to ask the older lady a question as such, but she had to know if they were related somehow.

"Jack? Yeah, he's my oldest son. Why do you ask? Do you know Jack?" Charlotte wondered how this young lady knew Jack. She knew he hadn't been to California, he hadn't been on a date with her and he certainly didn't go to college after high school, so school was out of the question.

"Oh, funny story actually. You see, I arrived in town a little bit ago and ended up getting lost. I was looking for a place to eat after I got off the interstate. Apparently, I took a wrong turn and somehow ended up in the middle of nowhere. I saw a gentleman up ahead and asked him for directions. Jack told me about your restaurant and gave me directions. He definitely recommended your sweet tea." She blushed at the comment.

Elizabeth had this nervous feeling in her stomach that she wasn't sure what it was or where it was coming from. At the mention of Jack Thornton, it's like her heart was doing cartwheels and she couldn't get him out of her thoughts.

"Ah ha. I see." Charlotte smiled widely. She knew the real reason Jack had sent her to her restaurant. Now she just had to get this young lady in front of her to go along with it. She thought about it for a few seconds and realized it may be pretty difficult to do so, but she'd try her hardest for her son.

Growing up, Jack had always been a good student in school. His grades were the top of his small class and he excelled at everything he did academically. He had wanted to go to college to become a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, but since college was long and expensive, his parents hadn't been able to afford to send him off to college. And since his high school was so small, he only received two scholarships that didn't pay much on tuition.

Jack pushed the thought of college out of his mind and focused instead of working around the farm with his dad. He wanted to learn everything possible about farming and knew eventually he would want to marry and settle down and have kids of his own. He realized shortly though since the town was so small, he wasn't sure how he'd find the perfect girl for him. Sure, he had dated a few girls throughout his life, but none of them proved to be "Mrs. Right". He assumed eventually she would find him and they'd fall in love and grow old together. He just had to have patience.

Charlotte soon realized that Jack wanted to settle down and raise his own family. He had mentioned it a few times before to his parents and said he would wait to find the perfect lady. She realized he would have to have a lot of patience to wait since the town was so small and there weren't too many females in town his age. She just hoped that someone would come soon that would be that perfect lady. And now, that perfect lady may just be sitting across the table from her. Now she just needed to figure out how to put this plan into action.


	4. Chapter 4 - The Farm House

**Chapter 4 – The Farm House**

Hours passed and before both women realized, it began to get dark outside as evening was setting in.

"Oh dear, I didn't realize the time! I meant to leave after I finished eating so that I could find a hotel to stay for the night. Do you have any recommendations on a hotel nearby?"

Charlotte held her hand up and stopped Elizabeth from fretting.

"Nonsense, you are not going to stay in no hotel. You can come home with me and stay at my house for the night. I have plenty of space and you can join us for supper." Charlotte smiled as she realized her plan for her and Jack may be put into place sooner, rather than later.

"No, no no… I can't let you do that. Honestly, a hotel would be fine. I don't want to be in the way of you and your family." Inside, Elizabeth's heart went back to doing cartwheels again at the thought of seeing Jack so soon. But she couldn't dare spend the night with his family this soon. It just wasn't proper.

"I ain't taking no for an answer. Now come on. I'll take you back to my house and introduce you to the rest of the family." Charlotte rose from her chair and walked over to the counter by the front desk, making sure Elizabeth was close behind her. She smiled at Elizabeth as they both walked out of the restaurant and to their vehicles.

Charlotte walked with Elizabeth to her car and watched as Elizabeth unlocked the fancy car, placing her purse in the passenger side.

" _Hmm...a Mercedes…Oh boy, she's definitely a city girl alright."_ Charlotte laughed inwardly and motioned for Elizabeth to come to her before getting in her car.

"Elizabeth, if you don't mind, Tom normally picks me up from work, but since we are both headed to my house, do you mind giving me a ride?"

Elizabeth agreed and unlocked the car door for Charlotte to get in her small car. Elizabeth moved her purse and things for Charlotte to get in and started the car. Charlotte noticed quickly how powerful the engine was and wondered just how much this fancy car had cost Elizabeth.

Elizabeth looked over at Charlotte, who she noticed was a little nervous looking. She knew from her conversation earlier with Jack that no one in town had a Mercedes. She was sure that Charlotte didn't know what to think of her car.

"Would you like to put the top down?" Charlotte quickly looked over and up at the car's ceiling, noting that the top could come down.

"Uh, I ain't sure. I've never ridden in something this fancy before."

"Oh, then we definitely should put the top down! It's a ton of fun! You'll love it, trust me!" Elizabeth pushed a small button near the rearview mirror and the top began to come down slowly. It eventually folded down into the back end of the car and Elizabeth began the drive to the Thornton's house.

About 15 minutes later, Elizabeth pulled off a dirt road onto another dirt road with a rusty mailbox that said: THE THORNTONS.

She had made certain not to go too fast in her car, as the previous drive before, the dust had gone all over her and the interior of her car. She didn't want to be covered in dust again, especially since she knew she was going to be seeing Jack shortly.

Charlotte directed Elizabeth where to park her car and they got out of the car, Elizabeth observing the beautiful farmhouse in front of them.

Elizabeth couldn't believe her eyes. She hadn't pictured them living in a big house, but yet its grand size was awe inspiring. It was a two-story farmhouse, white in color. There was a huge wrap around porch that went the whole length of the house. Big windows everywhere and a dark red chimney on top.

There was also a huge barn right near the house. It was bright red and was massive, to say the least.

Behind them, the sun was setting in the far distance and the sunset was gorgeous. The house sat up on a knoll above the farmland below them. For miles, you could see open fields and horses running.

Charlotte soon realized that Elizabeth probably hadn't seen a farm before, so she gave her a moment to take in the sight around her before she interrupted.

"What do you think?" Charlotte smiled slightly.

"It's beautiful. I've never seen anything so breathtaking. I can see now why you chose this piece of property." Elizabeth turned back to the farmhouse, taking in the sights and smells around her.

An unfamiliar smell hit Elizabeth's nose and she scrunched her face up, looking around at what the stench could be.

Charlotte noticed her facial expression and laughed. "Sorry for the smell, it's coming from the barn. Apparently, Tommy didn't get around to mucking the stalls out today."

"Ohhh…" Elizabeth smiled and said quietly as they both climbed the front steps. _"If that's what it smells like around here all the time, shew!"_

Charlotte walked in the front door with Elizabeth close behind. "Tom, I'm home!" Charlotte set her purse on the countertop in the kitchen and proceeded into the foyer near the steps that Elizabeth assumed led upstairs.

Off in a back room, she heard his voice. He began to speak and his voice became louder as he neared the kitchen.

"Ma, Pa's not here right now. He went to visit Mrs. Hudgins and said he'd be…" Jack's voice trailed off as he walked in the kitchen and saw her. He froze.

Apparently, Jack wasn't either 1) used to having company or 2) was unprepared to have a guest in the house. He walked into the kitchen with old blue jeans on and no shirt. His hair was wet and out of place, as it looked like he had just stepped out of a shower.

Elizabeth looked at him and then quickly turned her back. In her 29 years, she'd never seen a man in person with his shirt off. She had to take a deep breath to calm herself, as she was sure Jack was just as embarrassed as she was. _"If my parents knew this, they'd disown me!"_

Jack quickly ran back into, what Elizabeth assumed was the bathroom, putting a shirt quickly on before coming back into the kitchen to join the two ladies.

Jack's face was a slight pink color when he came. He had put on a white t-shirt and smiled as he made his way back in the room.

"Sorry about that. Apparently, my ma didn't warn me that we had company." He glared over at his ma, who was standing off to the side fixing some lemonade. She smiled and laughed.

"Oh, no harm, no foul!" Charlotte handed Elizabeth a small glass of cold lemonade and then handed the other glass to Jack. She put the remainder of the lemonade in the fridge and started to walk out of the kitchen.

"And just where are you going?" Jack was looking at his ma, wondering how she had got Elizabeth to their house. He didn't know what to say to her and didn't want his ma to leave them alone so quickly. He was a bundle of nerves.

"I know y'all met earlier. I'll leave you two alone to talk and catch up. Enjoy the lemonade!" Charlotte smiled as she quickly walked out of the room and into the living room, turning the TV on.

For a few minutes, both stood awkwardly in the kitchen, unsure of what to say.

Jack was the first to speak.

"So…what brings you by?" He smiled and flashed his dimples at her. She hadn't seen them earlier because she was annoyed that she was lost. _"Was it hot in this house? Or was it just her?"_

"Uh, your mother invited me. I was eating at her restaurant and we were talking and lost track of time. I forgot to find a hotel before it got dark, but your mother invited me to spend the night."

Jack opened the front door for Elizabeth and they walked outside to the front porch to sit on the porch swing. Before long, they were lost in conversation as the night drew near.

Charlotte called them in for supper and Elizabeth soon realized that Jack was a true gentleman. Not only did he hold the door open for her, but he also held her seat out for her, pushed her seat in, took her plate to the kitchen after they ate and asked if she needed anything else.

As the family sat around the living room later that night before bed, Tom had been anxious to know how she had found their little town in Georgia.

"I gotta admit… it sure seems difficult to get lost in our tiny town. Just what brings you by?"

Elizabeth explained that she had been doing photography for a while now, traveling to different parts of the country looking for that perfect shot. She mentioned how growing up, she was always the girl with the camera in her hand.

"Did you get any good shots of our town?" Tom quickly asked, finding photography quite interesting.

"I did. You have a beautiful town here. It's definitely small town USA."

Eventually, the family decided to call it a night. Charlotte showed Elizabeth where she would sleep for the night. Of course, Elizabeth noticed right off that the guest bedroom was right across the hall from Jack's bedroom. _"Hmm…of course it is."_

Sleep came quickly to Elizabeth, who was tired from her trip. She was anxious to see what tomorrow holds for her.


	5. Chapter 5 - The Secret Spot

**Hey guys! Sorry about not updating for awhile! Between work & life, I just kinda forgot about this chapter I was working on. I know this is a short chapter, but I had writer's block, so the next chapter will be longer! Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 5 – The Secret Spot**

Early the next morning, Elizabeth stepped outside with her camera to take some shots of the beautiful sunrise coming above the hill in front of the Thornton residence.

She couldn't believe the amazing shots she was getting.

"Breathtaking…" she whispered to herself as she snapped the oranges and yellows of the early sun rising in front of her.

"She sure is." Elizabeth jumped at the whisper behind her; unsure of whom it was at first. She soon realized it was Jack. Her cheeks started turning a light pink hue from his comment.

"Jack, you scared me…I wasn't expecting anyone to be awake at this hour." Elizabeth slowly turned, letting her camera hang around her neck.

"Hope I didn't scare you too bad. I'd sure hate for those pictures to turn out badly on my account." Jack grinned and his dimples showed through.

Elizabeth was lost in thought. _"Whoa, those dimples are mesmerizing! Keep it together Elizabeth…"_ She pulled herself together and smiled back, turning around to enjoy the sunrise before it disappeared.

"You see a lot of sunsets like this one before?" Jack asked as he watched her enjoy the rising sun before them.

Elizabeth took a deep breath, turning towards Jack. "You know, it's funny. Here I am, a photographer, I've been around the world numerous times and been in beautiful places, but I've never experienced a sunrise such as this one before. It's amazing."

Jack was getting ready to say something back but was interrupted by Charlotte informing them that breakfast was ready. He held the door open for Elizabeth and they walked into the large farmhouse kitchen to enjoy a yummy breakfast.

After breakfast was over, Jack mentioned to Elizabeth that he had a secret spot he wanted to show her that evening during the sunset. Elizabeth was excited to see this "secret" spot of Jack's.

Later that evening as the sun was setting below the horizon, Jack asked Elizabeth to come with him to his "secret" spot on the farm. Jack had this spot since he was a little boy. He always enjoyed coming to this spot to not only enjoy the view but to think about life and things.

Jack took Elizabeth by the hand, leading her up on a small ridge above the farm. Turning the corner around a big rock, she looked out among the valley below as the sun was setting on the valley and everything before them was cast in an orange glow from the sun.

"It's… magnificent." Elizabeth was in awe of the beauty around her. She grabbed her camera quickly, taking shots of all she could before the sunset for the evening.

Jack stood in awe of the view before him as well, but it wasn't the sunset that he was watching. It was Elizabeth. He couldn't keep his eyes off her as he watched her snap photos of the sunset at different angles. As much as he wanted to deny it, he was in love with her and he hadn't even known her but just a few days.


	6. Chapter 6 - Staying for A While

**I hope you guys enjoy this new chapter! Make sure to stick around for my next chapter on their date!**

 **Chapter 6 – Staying for A While**

Jack was lost in the beauty that was before him. He didn't notice the view of the beautiful mountains, but he did notice the beauty of Elizabeth. He was captivated by her, unable to keep his eyes off of her as she took in the scenic sunset in front of her.

Jack recalled the first day he met her at the produce stand, how gorgeous she was, even though she was covered head to toe in the dust from the dirt road. He thought back to how he couldn't speak at first when she got out of her convertible. He was truly enthralled with her.

But, he had only known her for a few days and felt he was overstepping his bounds with her. She seemed interested in him, but they were from two totally different worlds. She was high class and he was low class. He assumed there was no use getting his hopes up with this "city" girl. He doubted she would even give him a chance.

As Elizabeth took in the beautiful sunset in front of her cascading over the mountainside, she realized Jack wasn't standing beside her, but behind her. She knew they were about the same age and quickly grasped that she was quite smitten with him. She tried to deny it, but he had a hold on her that no one else had. She guessed it was something about this "country" guy and his charm. She decided to continue to take photos of the sunset, even though the sun was quickly setting before them and the shots weren't as good as the first. She could sense his eyes on her as he stood behind her a few feet away. She didn't want to move and end the moment but knew they had to return back to the farmhouse before it got dark.

Elizabeth slowly turned around and out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Jack staring at her in the distance. She again pretended like she got another great photo of the mountains and sunset, but just didn't want to turn around too quickly. Eventually, she turned completely around and saw Jack standing there smiling from ear to ear at her, dimples showing. She knew those dimples would be the death of her if she let them.

"Did you get some good shots of the sunset? I figured this place wouldn't disappoint. I've seen my fair share of them since I was little." Jack noticed she was looking at her camera, clicking buttons and presumed she was inspecting the pictures she took.

"Oh yeah, they're great shots! Thanks for allowing me to see this secret spot of yours!" Elizabeth continued clicking buttons, deleting a few shots that she knew wasn't the best ones, but appreciative she had this opportunity to take some breathtaking shots.

Jack helped her back down and towards the farmhouse below in the valley, both taking their time walking, not wanting this special moment between them to end so quickly.

They both walked up to the side door that led into the kitchen, Jack holding the door for her and smiling as she walked by. Both stole a glance at each other once more before going inside. Looking from the outside between these two, it was easy to realize they were completely entranced by each other. They just didn't know that themselves.

Elizabeth had decided to stay in the small town until she decided to move on to somewhere else. She decided today she would look in town for an apartment. She knew she couldn't stay at the Thornton's house the whole time she was there. It wouldn't be right. Though, she would miss seeing Jack every morning when she woke up. She smiled as her cheeks became a small shade of pink, unable to shake the thought of seeing Jack every morning. She decided to head to town and headed down the road towards the main part of town.

Jack had left the farmhouse shortly before her to tend to the late evening chores around the farm. He saw her leave and hoped she wasn't leaving for good. He'd hate to see her go when she did decide to leave. As he watched her convertible disappear down the dirt road, he laughed quietly as he realized how he was slowly falling in love with her. Shaking his head and smiling, he went back inside the barn, grabbed the pitchfork and finished cleaning out the horse stalls.

Elizabeth drove around the small town first, checking to see if anything was posted in yards or on streets about rentals. She saw a couple of places, jotting down the phone numbers and details, if there was any, to call later that evening to see if any was available.

Jack was tending to a broken fence when off in the distance, he saw her red convertible car coming down the main road. He smiled that she was back, even if it had only been for an hour or two. He began to walk towards the driveway to meet her.

Elizabeth pulled in the driveway and before she could even put her hand up to the handle to open the door, Jack was there and opened the door for her. "Thanks, Jack…" Elizabeth said as she slowly got out of her car, quickly noticing Jack was wearing a shirt with no sleeves and could see his upper arm muscles clearly. Her heart pounded as she imagined… She quickly shook her head, eliminating the thought from her mind as she and Jack walked inside the farmhouse to grab a quick drink of lemonade.

"So, how was town this evening?" Jack asked as he got the lemonade out of the fridge and grabbed two glasses, setting them on the small table in the middle of the kitchen. He poured both glasses full and sat down at the table with Elizabeth.

"It was good." Elizabeth smiled at Jack, anxious to tell her that she was going to stay here for a while.

"Well, it must've been good if you have that silly smile on your face. What's going on?" Jack took a quick sip of his lemonade and waited for Elizabeth to tell her what happened in town.

"Well…Jack…I've decided to stay here for a while and rent a small apartment. I guess you could say I've fallen in love with your little town." Elizabeth had a sly smile on her face, realizing she meant she fell in love with someone instead and hoped Jack had picked up on her reference. Elizabeth went on to tell Jack about a few places she had seen for rent and how she was going to call about them later that evening.

When Elizabeth told Jack about her staying for a while, his heart was beating out of his chest. This beautiful woman, who had been brought to him by fate because she got lost, was staying in town for a while and he may now be able to see about having a chance with her.

The next week, Elizabeth ended up finding a small one-bedroom house out in the countryside for rent for practically nothing, so she knew she had to take it. The funny thing about it was it was on the same road as the Thornton's house, just a couple of houses down. Elizabeth laughed inwardly, wondering if God was trying to show her a sign that this was right.

Elizabeth didn't have many things to move in, but one early morning, she heard a knock on the front door. She opened it and there stood Jack with a beautiful bouquet of yellow and white wildflowers. She allowed him to enter, thanking him for the beautiful flowers. She placed them in a small glass vase and placed them on the table in the kitchen.

"What brings you by Jack?" Elizabeth led Jack into her living room, both sitting down on the loveseat.

Jack was at a loss for words because of how nervous he was but knew he had to do this right. Otherwise, he might as well forget his chances with her, if there even was one.

"Elizabeth, I wanted to say congratulations on the apartment and I'd like to welcome you to town." Jack paused, taking a deep breath before he continued. "Uh, if it's alright with you, I'd like to take you to dinner this evening to a place not far from here outside of town. Then, if you'd want to, we could head over to the drive-in theatre and watch a movie together."

Seconds passed of quietness and it seemed like Jack was going to burst from not knowing what Elizabeth was thinking or going to say.

"Jack…" Elizabeth quickly laughed but continued. "I'd love to."

Jack grinned from ear to ear, but Elizabeth held her finger up. "But I have one stipulation."

Jack slowly frowned, unsure what she was going to say.

"We'll take my car since it's a convertible. I'll even let you drive." Elizabeth winked at him and Jack's grin came back on his face, bigger this time than before.

"That sounds great. I'll be here at 6:00. Does that work for you?" Elizabeth nodded and Jack stood, informing Elizabeth he had to get back home to tend to the barn.

Before he left though, he stopped and turned around.

"Thank you, Elizabeth." Jack grabbed her right hand, placing a gentle kiss on the top of her hand, staring into her beautiful blue eyes. Elizabeth's breath was caught in her chest as she watched and smiled as Jack walked to his truck and left.

To say they were both excited about their date was an understatement. They were over the moon. Both couldn't wait until the clock struck 6:00.


End file.
